


Don't Make Me Ask, Don't Make Me Tell

by Arquero



Series: Month of the Ship 2019 Fics [1]
Category: Magic: The Gathering
Genre: Get Jace buff for that Ixalan card art, M/M, Month of the Ship, Pining, Training, sexy scars, typical fanfic obliviousness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-11 13:38:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19110775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arquero/pseuds/Arquero
Summary: Jace and Gideon have been training together for a while now, and the attraction from both sides is evident. So why is it that Jace can't get the otherwise confident hieromancer to make the first move? The tension is building and it's driving him crazy. If he something doesn't change soon, Jace is going to be forced to ask first.





	1. Romantic and Hieromantic

**Author's Note:**

> This work is my late addition to the Month of the Ship challenges from this past April. I'm new to the MtG fandom and have historically struggled with fizzling out mid way through my more ambitious freeform fics, so doing a couple oneshots or limited scope works based on the daily prompts felt like a good way to contribute to the MtG fandom and challenge myself to get back into writing. 
> 
> I'm using this entry to and cover: 1. Ask Out 2. First Kiss and 3. First Date

“Oof” was the exasperated sound Jace made as the air was once again knocked from his lungs. This was the 3rd time this session that he found himself flat on his back, out of breath, and looking up at the face of a bemused hieromancer.  
  
Trying to catch his breath, Jace couldn’t help questioning why he had ever agreed to this farcical idea that everyone in the Gatewatch needed to get in “fighting shape”. He was a mind mage, and as a team he could rely on Gideon and Chandra to cover him during close quarters combat. All this running, weapons training, and overall physical excursion couldn’t be good for one’s constitution. As much as he hated all the paperwork his office as Guildpact left him, he had to admit he felt much more at home behind a desk or in a library than he did going toe-to-toe with trained warriors. Especially warriors who were strong and muscular and looked far too sexy to have been combat training for the last 3 hours. Despite this, Jace couldn’t help but try his best to succeed at their training, whether for his own improvement, to help the Gatewatch, or to impress Gideon he wasn’t sure. With that resolute thought in mind, he huffed and prepared to pull himself back to his feet for another round.  
  
“Need a hand?” Gideon laughed, reaching a warm calloused hand down in Jace’s direction. “That was a nice bout Jace, your combat skills have really started to improve” Gideon said, his voice light and cheerful, annoyingly without even a hint of fatigue.  
  
Jace took his hand begrudgingly, trying to ignore the hint of butterflies set off by even this small contact and sign of companionship.  
  
“I’m not sure that I’d call our training so far a success though. You only would have killed me what, 8, 9 times this session had we truly been enemies?” Jace huffed back.   
“But in a true battle, you wouldn’t be fighting with only your fists. You are a fantastic mage, and this training plays much more to my strength than yours.” Gideon said while walking over to Jace. Putting a hand on his shoulder and looking him in the eye, “Be proud of your accomplishments. You’ve made much progress in our time together. Were you to try and train me in espionage I’m sure I would have much room to grow as well.”  
  
Gideon paused and began walking over to put the weapons away before calling over his shoulder, “You look much more like a warrior now than we began. You don’t need illusions to make yourself seem fit, your true muscles are beginning to look quite impressive. Even if you often try to conceal them beneath that cloak of yours.”  
  
Jace balked and blushed, quickly throwing up an illusion to mask his reaction with a more indifferent face. Despite their flirting, Jace wasn’t sure he wanted Gideon to know how much simple comments affected him. But it didn’t matter, the hieromancer wasn’t even looking his way, instead busying himself returning their equipment to the racks on their gym’s wall.  
  
“While I didn’t agree to your training regimen for the aesthetics, I guess the citizens of Ravnica have you to thank for a slightly more fit Guildpact.” Jace chucked and patted his stomach.  “The Orzhov should reward you for all the material they’ll save if they decide to commission my likeness”   
Gideon chuckled, but didn’t comment further, leaving the conversation once again in Jace’s court. Steeling himself, Jace decided to push forward. “I guess I still have a long way to go if I want to start looking as good as you though, huh Beefslab?”  
  
A smirk over his shoulder from Gideon was once again all the response he got. Steeling himself, Jace decided to try and push the boundary of these little interactions.  
  
“Proper nutrition is often an important part of building muscle. Could I perhaps talk you into joining me for dinner after this, see what food you’d recommend?” Jace’s heart was in his throat, but he even added an illusory stomach growl for effect. It wasn’t the most forthright invitation to a date, but Jace reassured himself that surely after weeks of flirting Gideon could get the romantic subtext?  
“I still have some clean up to do around here to prepare for my session with Chandra tomorrow morning. But you sound hungry, go on ahead.”  
  
Jace threw up another illusion of an indifferent face to hide his disappointment. Why did Gideon always do this to him, baiting him into this flirtatious dance and then just as quickly disengaging? It was just like their sparring. Gideon always seeming to be calm, collected and in control. Dancing in with strikes, throwing out feints, and always moving to a choreography he desired, leaving Jace with no choice but to follow his lead or end up knocked out and sputtering on his back. They had been doing this teasing dual for weeks, yet Jace never felt like he was any closer to forcing Gideon to actually make a move. Gideon seemed content in this state, but the uncertainty was starting to drive Jace mad. He had touched the surface of his mind lightly. He knew Gideon was at least somewhat attracted to him. But without looking deeper into the other’s mind he couldn’t grasp the context of those feelings, and digging deeper into his ally’s mind unbidden was a line he didn’t want to cross.  
  
So instead Jace stood longing, watching for a moment as the barely there sweat shimmered on Gideon’s arms and neck while he meticulously cared for their sparring weapons. Even as the desire blossomed in his chest, Jace felt himself wondering if this was just a fun way to pass the time for Gideon? If he had touched his mind when he was with the Boros or back on Theros, would he have felt a similar desire between Gideon and his comrades there? The answer wasn’t going to come to him today it seemed, and so Jace said a quick goodbye and headed to his quarters, ready to soak his sore muscles and his ego.


	2. Realizations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my Day 2 of Month of the Ship: First Kiss.

A while later Jace found himself sitting at the desk in his quarters, freshly bathed and trying to distract himself from the whole Gideon business by reading up on an utterly boring territory dispute between the Orzhov and the Izzet. For the embodiment of law and order on Ravnica, he often felt more like a babysitter, forced to mediate childish squabbles between equally childish guild representatives. That the impetuous Ral Zarek was the representative from Izzet just added to the feeling of trying to corral a rambunctious and easily distractible child, though he is confident Zarek would spin it as “trying to cage lightening” or some other such overdone storm pun.  
  
Jace was caught between musing at the joy he’d find in telling Zerek this dispute would take at least two more meetings to sort out and staving off the beginnings of a headache when he heard a soft knock at the door to his quarters. Realizing he was still in his underwear and a loose robe after his shower, Jace quickly threw up an illusion of his regular outfit and cloak before making his way to the door and throwing it open.

“What’s u-“ was all he could get out, before stopping in shock at the sight on the other side.

Standing there was Gideon, freshly bathed himself and in a loose fitting and low-cut tunic. The laces were only half done, giving Jace a far too appealing look at his muscled chest beneath. Despite this, Gideon seemed somewhat meeker than usual. His usually strong shoulders a little more curved, as if trying to seem smaller now that he found himself in Jace’s doorway.

“Hello my friend” Gideon uttered. “May I join you for a moment?”  
  
“S-sure” Jace replied, a little confusion leaking into his voice.  
  
“I spoke to Chandra” he began “and she mentioned you did not go out nor did you join the rest of the Gatewatch for their evening meal. I was fairly sure you were in great need of nourishment by the end of our training, so I wanted to come make sure I hadn’t pushed you so hard you became unwell.”  
  
“No” Jace groaned inwardly, “That wasn’t, I…” Jace trickled off. Of course, Gideon would act like all he wanted was nourishment after their training, as if that was the purpose rather than the pretense of his dinner invitation. He didn’t want to be confrontational about this with his friend and teammate, but he had a hard time keeping his irritation from being palpable. Jace was so distracted trying to decide the most tactful way to diffuse this situation and get Gideon out of his room, he almost missed it as Gideon cleared his throat and started speaking again.  
  
“I spoke to Chandra of other things as well” he opened. “I was informing her of our training today, of the drills we had run, the progress you had made, and how I might have to cut the hours short in the future seeing as I left you so hungry by the end.” At this Gideon paused and cleared his throat, a hint of red creeping into his cheeks. “She informed me that I might have been a little dense.” At this, Gideon once again paused, Jace noting that the red in his cheeks became more pronounced as he continued. “ Upon reflection, it seems that your invitation to dinner might have been more a desire to spend time together than just to obtain a nourishing meal”.  
  
Jace had been struggling to maintain his composure, trying to reconcile the frustration he had felt only moments before with the tepid elation that Gideon seemed to finally be directly acknowledging their feelings. So, when Gideon paused to reach out and touch his hand, Jace faltered. His carefully maintained illusion of an indifferent face and his regular clothes fell away, leaving Gideon holding the hand of a red faced and far more casually dressed Jace.

“Still using your great magic for everyday tasks, I see” Gideon chuckled, a little more blush creeping onto his face at Jace’s unusual state of dress.

“We all have our tricks, might as well use them when it’s convenient” Jace responded quickly, shrugging as he looked away from Gideons smiling face.

“I don’t see why you couldn’t just answer the door like this” Gideon continued, before gesturing toward Jace’s exposed torso. “After all our training you look quite handsome, you should feel confident with your body”.

Jace blanched, shrugging and gesturing but unable to get a solid response out. He knew he looked more fit since he had started training with Gideon, but muscle did nothing to remove the scars from Tezzeret and his Consortium days. It had been a long time since he had felt comfortable showing his body to anyone, especially with the complicated way his relationship with Lilliana ended.

Sensing his distress, Gideon tentatively reached a hand toward his chin and turned his face until their eyes met. “I know we haven’t discussed your past in much depth, so I do not know the origin of those scars you seem so keen to hide, but give them no more thought, all warriors have scars, and each is more beautiful for them and the fights they represent.”

Jace tried to swallow, a lump forming in his throat. The kind of affirmation he was getting something he had long been craving.  
  
“But back to what I had discussed with Chandra. Jace, I am sorry if I ignored your advances unwittingly. I knew enough about your history to understand that romance may be complicated for you, and I didn’t want you to feel put upon by my advances until you made the first move. That we were attracted to each other did not, in my mind, mean that you were automatically comfortable for us to act on it.”  
  
Jace nodded, smiling sadly. He appreciated Gideon’s consideration, and knew the man was right, but still mourned that his broken past was so obvious that new partners were afraid to make advance.  
  
“I’m afraid I may have erred and let things stew too long.” Gideon spoke softly. “So to address it more directly, Jace, were you trying to ask me on a date earlier this evening?”  
  
Gideon had put himself out there this evening, but still ultimately left Jace to be the arbiter of their relationship. He could lie, say it was nothing, and be the one to disengage this time. Or try to work up the courage to push forward Looking into Gideon’s warm, amber eyes Jace realized that maybe neither of them had to make the definitive first move. They had both stumbled this far back and forth, maybe they could take this first step together. Jace nodded in affirmation, reaching out with his mind to connect with Gideons, sharing all the thoughts and feelings that had been building within the both over the recent weeks and commingling them in a swirl of mutual desire.  
  
When his eyes stopped glowing blue, he once again saw Gideon sitting in front of him, eyes filled with want and hand still warm on his chin. In a moment of understanding, the both leaned in, lips meeting in a warm embrace. It wasn’t filled with lust, though they had seen that in each other’s minds too. Instead, it was a simple meeting of the lips that somehow conveyed affirmation about all this flirtatious dancing had built towards. Gideon leaned back, a pleased smile on his face, and said it out loud: “If it wasn’t already evident, yes Jace, I’d love to go on a date with you”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go in this little series for now. Since I'm undertaking this challenge to try and convince myself to write daily, none of these chapters are beta'd. If you come across any tense issues, lore problems, or other feedback feel free to let me know.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While this chapter may seem like it is getting a little risque, fear not, all genitals remain covered for the duration of this fic. Now, I hope you enjoy what Jace and Gideon come to consider their first date

After the verbal confirmation of Gideon’s interest and the mindshare of their desire, it was like a weight had been lifted from Jace’s chest and he almost felt giddy with it. He and Gideon continued to sit around on the floor of his quarters, chatting about nothing and just enjoying being in one another’s company as the night wore on. Gideon was a few minutes into a humorous tale about one of his comrades from Regatha when he paused, noticing Jace had been staring intently at the opening of his tunic where the edge of a thin white scar was visible through the loosely done laces.  
  
“Admiring my scar are you? And after you seem so ashamed of yours” Gideon said lightheartedly.  
  
“I’ll have to admit, they do seem to hold much more allure when you don’t carry the personal baggage behind them. While I'm somewhat embarrassed about my scars, I think I'm more uncomfortable with the time and events they represent to me”.  
  
“I know what you mean. Some of them are heavier burdens to carry than others. I don’t intend to pry into the history of yours until you are ready to share, but as for mine, most are burdens I lightened long ago.” Gideon paused, before pulling off his tunic entirely, leaving him bare chested and only in a light version of the loose teal wrap he often kept around his waist. “Ask me anything, and as long as it doesn’t lead to a story too heavy, I am happy to share”  
  
Jace contemplated the man before him, his skin giving off a warmth as Jace’s eyes scanned over muscle and scars alike. Finally settling, he pointed out a thin line that ran across Gideon’s right flank.  
  
“How about this one, is this an alright story to ask about?” Jace questioned.

“Hah, did you inspect my mind for this? That one is an easy choice, an injury from training in my youth, and a story I would be happy to share”. Gideon then launched into a humorous tale of himself as a young man striving to be a warrior too quick, and the training injuries that can crop up when one is not yet invulnerable. While Gideon spoke, Jace thought about how lucky he was to have someone who cared about him and was willing to be so open about their past, both triumphs and faults. Compared to the secret and manipulation that filled his early life, Gideon’s company was warm and refreshing.   
  
“Thank you for sharing” Jace commented as the hieromancer finished up his story.

“It is no problem; I enjoy having someone to share my past with. Is there anything else that intrigues you? I believe we have time for another before I must retire in order to be rested for tomorrow’s trainings.”

Jace scanned his lover’s body again, this time finding a scar along his hip that peaked just above the wrap he wore.  
  
“What about that one?” Jace asked, pointing towards his lover’s hip.  
  
Gideon followed the line of Jace’s gesture with his eyes, before a smirk appeared on his face.  
  
“Which one it that, I can’t tell which you mean?” Gideon replied.  
  
Jace blushed a little bit at the game he felt Gideon playing, but tried to avoid being such easy prey.

“That one”, he gestured, this time getting a little closer as he pointed to the scar.  
  
Gideon reached out and captured the mindmage’s hand in his, smirk still playing across his face.

“I’m afraid I’m still not sure which one you mean, just reach out and show me, you don’t have to be shy” Gideon said with a lit in his voice, before pulling Jace’s hand flush with his torso. Jace smirked but not one to falter at what was obviously a test of wills, began slowly moving his hand down toward Gideon’s hip, admiring the feel or hard muscle between his hands as he crossed over Gideon’s abs.  
  
Finally stopping on the top of Gideon’s wrap, Jace confidently said, “This is the one here”.

Gideon hummed deeply, shifting his weight backwards so that he fell onto his back all the while pulling Jace with him by his hand.  
  
“How about I take these off so you can see the whole scar, it really enhances the story.”  
  
Before Jace could react to the comment of the fact he was now leaning forward, braced against a very warm and very attractive Gideon, the other had summarily untied his wrap and let it fall open, leaving himself in a rather tight and all too revealing pair of underwear. Jace absentmindedly licked his lips, trying to pull his eyes away from the bulge in Gideon’s underwear, and trying even harder not to think about the size of his potential lover if this is how he looked unaroused.

Following his gaze, Gideon joked “Hey now, I thought it was the scar you wanted to see. Find something else that catches your eye?”  
  
“I might have” Jace admitted, moving his hand from Gideon’s hip to lightly palm his bulge. “Though I’m not sure I’d want to hear all the stories involving this”  
  
Laughing at the implication, Gideon drew Jace down for a quick kiss, surprised when he felt Jace carefully opening his mouth, letting his tongue dance on Gideon’s lips. Deciding to lean in to Jace’s advance, Gideon let Jace’s tongue part his lips and explore his mouth while he focused on their bodies. Still on his back, Gideon pulled Jace flush with him, allowing the heat between their bodies to build as he got to work running his hands up Jace’s sides. Feeling the other mage shiver at his touch and press into him further, Gideon moved his hands toward his lovers back, trailing calloused fingers gently over the numerous scars. He decided to vie for a bit of dominance, turning his focus to their kiss and beginning a war of tongues that would allow him the opportunity to explore the mouth of his beloved mindmage for a while. Soon however, the sensations became too much for Jace. The warmth of their bodies pressed together, the feel of Gideon’s tongue on his, the trail of warm hands soothingly stroking his scars. Despite his best efforts to stay composed, Jace let out a small moan and gave a small thrust of his rapidly stirring crotch against the man below him.

Breaking them apart, Gideon spoke softly.  
  
“There may not be nearly as many stories about my cock as you might envision. And as much as we both might want to, I’d like to keep us from adding any to the list tonight. I think we’ve covered quite a bit of ground as is.”

Jace groaned audibly as he felt Gideon sit up and begin to separate them, but inwardly he knew his companion was right. They had gone from frustrated flirting to near nude makeout in the matter of a single evening. And with his teammate, this was a relationship he wanted to build slowly, with trust. Leaning back and running a hand through his ruffled hair, Jace spoke with a sigh. “I guess you’re right about that. Still, I’m really glad we were able to finally talk things out, and I really enjoyed spending time with you tonight.”  
  
“I am pleased as well” Gideon said with a smile, pulling himself to standing and making his way to the door.  


Lingering in the doorway, he turned back toward the Mind Mage. “You know, we’ve discussed our feelings, spent time sharing stories, and shared lingering goodnight kisses. It might not have been conventional, but how about we call this our first date?”  
  
Jace, paused, enjoying the possibility that they might be able to bypass the discomfort and expectation a first date might bring. He nodded eagerly, hopping up to give Gideon a final peck on the lips.  
  
“And an enjoyable first date it was.” With terrible timing though, his stomach let out a rumble, reminding him of the dinner he skipped in his earlier irritation. Patting his stomach once more and smiling sheepishly, he spoke once more, “But maybe next time we could do dinner too?”  
  
“Indeed” Gideon laughed. “Dinner tomorrow night for our second date then?”  
  
“It’s a date”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank everyone for reading. As I mentioned at the beginning, this is all unbeta'd and my knowledge of Magic Lore isn't super extensive, so feel free to let me know if anything need correction for grammar or content. 
> 
>  
> 
> Also, for anyone interested, this is the link to info on the Month of the Ship if any other latecomers want to use it for a personal challenge or wish to check out other works from it: https://themagicharbor.tumblr.com/post/182968789522/calling-all-mtg-fan-creators


End file.
